Tuesday, April 12, 2011

New Marketing Tool “Sweeps” Facebook

Sounds appealing, right? Here’s the catch….one must click the “like” button and enter a few pieces of personal information to be officially entered in the sweepstakes.

Many companies are using this strategy to open their businesses to young, fresh market segments. By using Facebook, companies are able to reach a vast amount of young people relatively quickly. As many would agree, young people are known to be intrigued by anything labeled “free” or “win now”.

Another important concept of Facebook sweepstakes is the idea of low-cost advertising. This works in two main ways:

First, this marketing tool works well because the company’s only expense is the prize up for grabs. After an individual has entered the contest, the company’s Facebook posts will appear directly in the users news feed. This way, the company can continually update the user on products, promotions, and other brand-affiliated news.

Second, a sweepstakes dramatically increases word-of-mouth advertising. When a user spots an awesome giveaway, they are likely to tell others about the prize and the sponsoring company.

Check out an example of a Facebook sweepstakes done by Fisher Communications through the radio station STAR 101.5.

What do you think about sweepstakes on Facebook? Is it worth it to enter a sweepstakes even though your news feed may be bombarded by company news?

About the blog

We set our course towards unveiling, discussing and analyzing the marketing performed in today's social media networks. You'll get the perspective of an up-to-date and active user, not a "behind the desk" marketing manager. Follow us along the way and don't be afraid to put your two cents in!